Perfect Trilogy 1 : Almost Perfect

Chapter 4

Maddy looked up from the notes she'd been re viewing for the staff meeting and realized it was two minutes past four o'clock. Yikes! Where had the time gone? After her e-mail exchange with Amy, she'd jumped into airing out the apartment and unpacking her clothes. Once she'd made some headway into stamping the place as her own, she'd pulled out all the material Mama had sent her when she'd agreed to take the job. In her determination to be well prepared, she'd lost all track of time.

Arriving late was not the way to show Joe what a mature, responsible adult she was.

Stuffing her notes into her big purse, she raced out the door and toward the wooded trail she assumed led to the main part of the camp. Her flat sandals slipped on the damp earth, making her wish she'd taken an extra minute to put on sensible foot wear. Especially since she'd gone on a shopping spree before leaving Austin to buy some shoes that could actually be termed "sensible."

The trail gave way to a sun-drenched field, with the office to her far left. She increased her pace to a light run, forgetting about the thin mountain air. By the time she passed a log cabin with a sign proclaiming it the CHIEF'S LODGE, her head was spinning.

She made out several people gathered on the covered area behind the office and prayed Joe wasn't among them yet. With a last spurt of energy, she leapt onto the patio. "Sorry I'm late." She sucked in a breath. "I got. . . caught up . . . unpacking."

Several heads turned her way, but with the sun spots in her eyes, all she could make out was silhouettes standing or sitting around a picnic table---all of them too small to be Joe, thank goodness.

"Actually, you're fine." Mama's voice came from one of the seated silhouettes. "We haven't started yet,"

"Yeah, we're waiting for God to join us," a younger voice said.

"God?" Maddy's eyes adjusted enough to recognize the three girls she'd seen earlier and two others she hadn't.

"He also answers to sir!" The blonde who'd driven the sports car snapped a smart salute, mak ing the others laugh.

"They mean Joe," Mama clarified as she rose. "Let me introduce you. Everyone, this is Madeline Mills, our new arts and crafts coordinator."

"Please, call me Maddy." She acknowledged the round of welcomes with a wave.

"This is Carol, our assistant director." Mama gestured to a pretty young woman sitting on the table with her legs primly crossed. Like the others, she wore shorts and a polo shirt, making Maddy realize that maybe her shoes weren't the only thing she should have changed. "Carol's been a part of Camp Enchantment for... how long?"

"Fourteen years." Carol's smile held genuine welcome. "I've gone from camper to counselor to assistant director."

"Sandy here is our liberal arts coordinator." Mama motioned to the owner of the sports car, then moved on to the statuesque black girl. "And Dana."

"Outdoor sports." Dana gave Maddy's hand a firm shake. "How ya doing?"

"Leah coordinates our nature studies." Mama motioned to a petite Asian girl seated on the far bench, then moved on to the last of the three girls who'd been in the parking lot, the tomboy with cropped brown hair. "And Bobbi is our water recreation coordinator."

"You know, head lifeguard." Bobbi raised the whistle that hung around her neck and blew. The shrill sound nearly drowned out the screams of pro test as everyone covered their ears.

"So," Maddy said when the noise died down,"did all of you start out as campers?"

"You bet," Sandy confirmed, and they all launched into singing,
" 'We are family, I got all my sisters with me.' "